Why Vote for Me

I believe in the potential of every man, woman and child in Ireland and I believe in the right to dignity and self-determination. As President, I will not have the power to legislate or allocate budgets. But I can and I will actively use my influence to highlight areas where we need to give people more opportunity to grow and develop, and to bring the marginalised in from the cold.

I am asking you to vote for me because I believe I can develop a style of presidency that works diligently and effectively for the people of Ireland. I feel that I can represent people who may never really have had a President before. By that I mean, if a challenger can overtake an incumbent, and one who is supported by the main political parties, that is saying loudly and clearly that anything is possible. That you don’t have to be a politician or have the backing of the main political parties to achieve the honour of becoming First Citizen.

Why Vote for Me

I believe in the potential of every man, woman and child in Ireland and I believe in the right to dignity and self-determination. As President, I will not have the power to legislate or allocate budgets. But I can and I will actively use my influence to highlight areas where we need to give people more opportunity to grow and develop, and to bring the marginalised in from the cold.

I am asking you to vote for me because I believe I can develop a style of presidency that works diligently and effectively for the people of Ireland. I feel that I can represent people who may never really have had a President before. By that I mean, if a challenger can overtake an incumbent, and one who is supported by the main political parties, that is saying loudly and clearly that anything is possible. That you don’t have to be a politician or have the backing of the main political parties to achieve the honour of becoming First Citizen.

Power in YOUR Hands

In a time of challenge and change, you have the power to vote for a new kind of presidency, a presidency that is truly above politics, and more representative of the hard working people of Ireland and those many thousands – the very heartbeat of the the nation – who give their time freely to community, neighbours and the disadvantaged

By voting for me, you will be doing a number of things:

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You will be voting for a dynamic, active, new kind of presidency

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You will be voting to have your voice heard

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You will be voting for change

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You will be voting for someone from outside the political system

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You will be strongly signalling your support for a true democratic process

In a time of challenge and change, you have the power to vote for a new kind of presidency, a presidency that is truly above politics, and more representative of the hard working people of Ireland and those many thousands – the very heartbeat of the the nation – who give their time freely to community, neighbours and the disadvantaged.

The Five Pillars of My Campaign

If I am elected, my presidency will be based on a solid foundation of five pillars. These are important areas of challenge and opportunity, which I have already been committed to and have worked on for many years, and on which I will use my time and energy in office to generate focus and dialogue.

Youth

Our young people are the future of Ireland. Let’s support them.
More than half of the jobs that our primary school goers will work at in 15 years time have not yet been invented. So we need to foster creativity, resilience and leadership in our young people.

I want to see the creation of an Ireland International Youth Corps, so young people aged between 18 and 25 can volunteer to take part in a year-long, certified training and development programme – to find their direction, build personal skills, travel overseas and support emerging communities.

Age

Our population is ageing. Let’s create a truly caring and safe environment for older people.
A recent ESRI study has found that our population aged 80 years and over is set to increase by between 89 and 94 percent in the next 12 years.

We must work to cherish, support and provide for our older people, allowing them to live safely in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

These are the people whose work and sacrifices built the Ireland we have today.

Diversity and Inclusion

The new Ireland. Let’s retain our distinctive heritage and identity, while welcoming people from other backgrounds and cultures, and fully accepting difference.

Ireland today is a much more diverse place to the one known by previous generations.

We must all embrace change, and create a society that offers a genuine Céad Míle Fáilte to all, regardless of gender, age, ability, ethnicity, orientation or belief.

Respect

An end to shaming. Let’s remember to respect, value and support one another.

We must tackle shaming in Irish society, that trend to attack each other over body shape, orientation or point of view, particularly in relation to cyber bullying and online abuse, which is known to cause damage to mental health.

Working Together

A fairer Ireland. Let’s work to support jobs, the economy and a better standard of living for all.

We must find a way to work together to sustain inward investment, encourage enterprise and exports, and ensure a fairer distribution of economic benefit to every region and part of the country.

The Five Pillars of My Campaign

If I am elected, my presidency will be based on a solid foundation of five pillars. These are important areas of challenge and opportunity, which I have already been committed to and have worked on for many years, and on which I will use my time and energy in office to generate focus and dialogue.

Youth

Our young people are the future of Ireland. Let’s support them.
More than half of the jobs that our primary school goers will work at in 15 years time have not yet been invented. So we need to foster creativity, resilience and leadership in our young people.

I want to see the creation of an Ireland International Youth Corps, so young people aged between 18 and 25 can volunteer to take part in a year-long, certified training and development programme – to find their direction, build personal skills, travel overseas and support emerging communities.

Age

Our population is ageing. Let’s create a truly caring and safe environment for older people.
A recent ESRI study has found that our population aged 80 years and over is set to increase by between 89 and 94 percent in the next 12 years.

We must work to cherish, support and provide for our older people, allowing them to live safely in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

These are the people whose work and sacrifices built the Ireland we have today.

Diversity and Inclusion

The new Ireland. Let’s retain our distinctive heritage and identity, while welcoming people from other backgrounds and cultures, and fully accepting difference.

Ireland today is a much more diverse place to the one known by previous generations.

We must all embrace change, and create a society that offers a genuine Céad Míle Fáilte to all, regardless of gender, age, ability, ethnicity, orientation or belief.

Respect

An end to shaming. Let’s remember to respect, value and support one another.

We must tackle shaming in Irish society, that trend to attack each other over body shape, orientation or point of view, particularly in relation to cyber bullying and online abuse, which is known to cause damage to mental health.

Working Together

A fairer Ireland. Let’s work to support jobs, the economy and a better standard of living for all.

We must find a way to work together to sustain inward investment, encourage enterprise and exports, and ensure a fairer distribution of economic benefit to every region and part of the country.

An Open and Transparent Presidency

I have no doubt that the Office of President would benefit from greater scrutiny, openness and transparency. We should not take for granted that the Office will always be held in high esteem and we need to now put in place an apparatus of accountability that will ensure public respect remains intact.

No right minded person will question legitimate spending associated with the Office but we should do everything practicable to ensure expenditure on the Office is not shrouded in secrecy or placed behind administrative and budgetary structures that make meaningful access for citizens virtually unattainable.

My presidency will be open and transparent. You will know how much is spent on travel, accommodation, transport, catering and so on in connection with Áras an Uachtarán, and I will make every effort to demonstrate the value accruing to the people as a result of the expenditure.

At present, the Office of President is exempt from any disclosures under the laws on Freedom of Information. If I am elected, I will immediately move to put in place a comprehensive voluntary protocol to give effect to the requirements of the FOI law in respect of the Office of President.

The only exception, understandably, will be sensitive correspondence to and from the President and some necessarily confidential consultations within the Office.

My presidency will be open and transparent. You will know how much is spent on travel, accommodation, transport, catering and so on in connection with Áras an Uachtarán, and I will make every effort to demonstrate the value accruing to the people as a result of the expenditure.

My Pledge to You

These are the pillars of my presidency and my commitments.

Put your vote to work. Vote No 1 Gavin Duffy. I promise that with my all energy and proven competence for the role, I will make the presidency work for you and for all the people of Ireland.

I wish to draw inspiration from the achievements in office of Presidents Childers, Robinson and McAleese, and to offer the people an evolving, dynamic and better presidency.

My Pledge to You

These are the pillars of my presidency and my commitments.

Put your vote to work. Vote No 1 Gavin Duffy. I promise that with my all energy and proven competence for the role, I will make the presidency work for you and for all the people of Ireland.

I wish to draw inspiration from the achievements in office of Presidents Childers, Robinson and McAleese, and to offer the people an evolving, dynamic and better presidency.